Test fire submission procedures

(a) Each test fire shall be submitted to the laboratory in an envelope obtained from the laboratory evidence receiving unit or such container as laboratory staff may specify. (b) Each envelope shall be labeled on the outside of the envelope with the manufacturer, type of handgun, serial number, date of test fire and name of the person collecting the test fire. Additional comments or such additional information as laboratory staff may require to properly process the submission may be added in the appropriate space. (c) Each envelope containing a test fire shall be sealed in a tamper-evident manner at the time of submission to the laboratory. (d) Whenever practicable, test fires shall be submitted to the laboratory in batches. When submitted in batches, test fire envelopes shall be submitted in a package or container labeled to state the number of test fire envelopes present in each package or container. Each package or container shall constitute a submission in the Laboratory Information Management System. (e) Test fires shall be performed with full metal case ammunition, with two bullets and two fired cartridge cases to be collected from each handgun. Bullets shall be collected in a manner suitable for subsequent comparison. (f) Upon receipt of a package of test fires from a police department, laboratory staff shall assign a case number with the designation "TF." (g) Test fires with such designation shall not constitute evidence at the time of submission. (h) Any subsequent submission of test fires by the same police department may be accepted under the initial "TF" number until given the next submission number. (i) The laboratory shall issue a receipt reflecting the number of test fires. (j) Each test fire in a submission shall be entered as an item in the databank using the handgun serial number as the item number. (k) All test fires may be stored in the evidence receiving unit until receipt of written notice by the submitting police department that the handgun is no longer in service or upon receipt of a written search request from an authorized law enforcement agency related to a criminal investigation.